M oulin Rouge! was a whirlwind of a film, an extravagant assault on the senses that reinvigorated the musical. The doomed love affair between Satine (Nicole Kidman), a glamorous cabaret star and courtesan, and Christian (Ewan McGregor), an impoverished English poet, in turn-of-the-century Paris plays out in feverish song-and-dance numbers made up of medleys of iconic pop songs.

By the time it was released in 2001, the Australian director Baz Luhrmann had already perfected his signature style with Strictly Ballroom and Romeo + Juliet – a blend of frantic editing, over-the-top visuals and contemporary music. Moulin Rouge!…